One of the healers went to the Apprentice and used his last healing spell to fortify the mage. He stood and called out in magic. From across the room, Kendra’s sword rose up from where it had fallen and took on a human shape. “The wand, it must be guarded. It is what she would want.” The mage then spoke another word of magic and the sword nodded and dissolved into a tendril of metal that coiled and wrapped around the tapestry roll.
Another fit of coughing and vomiting pulled the Apprentice over. The survivors gathered up the fallen and ordered them into rows. They found Jaga, the Imperic who had fought with Malcor lying in a congealed pool of cooling but still liquid gold. He was dead and his corpse had answered the call of the wand to rise up and fight. They removed his head.
Chapter Sixty Four - Clean Up
A moment later, they heard footsteps from the outer seal of the golden door. Sir Allen and the knights of Pha Rann burst into the room and then quickly sheathed their weapons. “I see we are too late Tanians.”
Their arrival spurred the Apprentice to choke back his suffering and stand. “You missed a glorious fight against the lich, many beholders, a horde of undead.” The Apprentice choked back another coughing fit and whispered, “The sceptre of the Jade God. But we have recovered the Imperic souls and the city’s wealth lies here.”
Sir Allen looked around taking stock of the survivors and noted that only two paladins, one battle priest, and healers remained. He smiled magnanimously and was about to say something when a knight behind him suddenly charged forward. “You have stolen what is rightfully ours! Cuthbert will – “
The Apprentice, frail as he looked, rose up with power and stood firm. A barrier flashed out from his hand and shield wall appeared in front of the aggressor. “If you take another step, you all die.”
“You dare to threaten Pha Rann?! Cuthbert?!”
His voice raw and strained, but amplified by magic they could hear the pain but also the pride when the Apprentice said, “Your gods were not here fool. Takhissis has done your work for you. Evil is vanquished. Will you not rejoice with us?”
Sir Allen walked up and touched the young knight, pulling him back. “Shut up and be still,” Allen hissed at him. He bowed low and said, “I recognize your tokens but do not know your name. I am Sir Allen of Taysor, commander of the Ninth Pha Rannnic Legion. We witness your victory. Though less the fight we had hoped for, we – all of us – will help. What is needed?”
The Apprentice relaxed. “You are wise Sir Allen of the Ninth. We are recovering our wounded and fallen for treatment. There is also a wealth of treasure that rightfully belongs to Ori. Tania has no claim on what is Ori’s. There is a mass of other treasure here though I claim for Morbatten. Do you acknowledge my claim?”
Sir Allen pursed his lips. “It seems that we are in an opportunity to SIGNFICANTLY help you. That opportunity should be duly recognized.” His voice smooth and steady but full of the implication that the opportunity could become a risk, was not lost on those present.
A rod of pure gold swirled up from the treasure floor and the Apprentice caught it and then leaned on it. “I’m sure we can work out something fair Sir Allen. Come, join me. As you know, Tania is less interested in gold. Let us discuss what is fair.” Their voices trailed off as they walked away from the group.
The rest spread out to recover fallen equipment. The Tanian gear made quite a pile. No one could tell what belonged to who and some of the armor pieces had suffered so badly, they were not even sure it was Tanian. As the Tanian cleanup came to an end, Sir Allen’s knights shared their food and drink with the Tanians. Though their priests offered to heal and attend to the wounded, one of the paladins said, “We are grateful for the offer, but unless we are attacked, we will await the Queen’s grace.”
Sir Allen and the Apprentice had reached a general agreement but for a few sticking points. “I do not like that Tania has already claimed recovery of the souls. If I remember, your Order was expelled by Ori weeks ago.”
“That is true, and we left at their request. However, we did not know you were here. You did not exactly go out of your way to inform or even attempt to coordinate with Dar Kendra.”
“Still, the task of defending and aiding Ori was explicitly requested and agreed to between Ori and Taysor. It is not enough for me to return with Ori’s tribute.”
The Apprentice looked back at Sir Allen’s small handful of knights. “Tania committed the entire Order of Water to this. Let’s pretend Sir Allen that you had beaten us here. Given our casualties, do you think you would have survived to recover anything?”
“With Pha Rann’s blessings and might, of course we would have. Our god is far more powerful against the undead.”
The Apprentice stared at him in poker-faced silence. “I am not a theologian here to debate which god is most powerful. You obfuscate the truth. What do you want?”
“The lich’s body.”
“Unacceptable. We slew the lich. We have already claimed the body.”
“Something else then.”
“Such as what Sir Allen? You will return Ori’s lost wealth. You will take them their treasure.”
“The lich’s soul gem.”
“Also both unacceptable and impossible. It was destroyed during the fight.”
“I grow weary of this mage.”
“As do I. I can offer you more treasure, but I cannot let you take what is not yours nor can I offer you what is destroyed.”
“Pha Rann will restore the royal family, not Tania then.”
“It will require some doing Sir Allen, but we can accommodate that. There was a brief moment after we freed the lich from the wand and then destroyed the lich, where I was able to capture the souls into a different place. It will take seven days. I will give you a soul gem prepared for their release.”
“Two days. We must march back to Ori and free their souls.”
“With great sacrifice, I can do this in three days Sir Allen, but any faster and we place them at risk.”
“Then we have no deal,” he said coldly.
“And you lose all we have agreed to, and your time is running out.”
“Is that a threat?” he demanded his hand dropping to his sword.
“No, it is truth. This entire fortress is ready to implode. And, well there is this.”
“What?”
From behind Sir Allen, a flickering light grew in brightness until even Allen noticed it. Turning, he frowned as Blade walked into the room from the other side. “You would not even have made it here as fast as you did had Blade not destroyed the outer armies and sealed off the mountain’s entries. Do you wish to argue claims with a dragon?” The Apprentice whispered, “Three days or all bets are off Sir Allen. No guarantees.”
“Curse you mage. I agree.”
Blade walked up to them as the Apprentice said, “We are agreed then.” More loudly, “Dread Lord Blade, we are grateful for your presence. That you returned to us is cause for celebration. I trust you returned the Imperics to Ori. Was the news that the captured souls would be returned within the week well received?”
Blade locked his gaze on Sir Allen. “I know you. We met, no that was your father.”
“My grandfather actually. He used to tell us stories of the dragons he met in Tania.”
“Very good. That would have been when my father signed the cease fire and trade agreement with Taysor.” Without hesitation but relaxing the intensity of his glare, Blade continued, “Yes, it was well-received. Tembri and the wounded Tanian will be resting. I imagine you humans will have some kind of a party when this is over. Status?”
“We won Lord Blaze. I will prepare a full report when we have secured the Order. Though we have wounded, slain, and in some cases worse, we will recover with time, healing, and the Goddess’ blessing. Sir Allen and these knights from Taysor arrived to help. We have agreed that they will return Ori’s tribute and the souls of the royals. They will also take the bullion you see here. My lord, I did not know when you m
ight return and with Kendra’s fall – “
“Those terms are too rich for Sorians.” Blade whirled back to Allen and just a hint of his dragon terror whiplashed out. To Allen’s credit, he barely flinched. “Without my help, without Tania’s Mages Guild, without too many to list, this is pointless. More so, we came with forty-seven and a dragon. You came with fewer than twelve.” He blew on his hand and a spark of fire formed there. He threw it across the room and it left a sparking line of fire hanging in the air. “For those groups, I take the left side. Based on numbers alone, you would be lucky to get even a third. Based on the involvement of dragons, you are lucky I am being so generous.” Blade’s eyes came alight with flame and he looked at Allen daring him to say anything.
The young knight of Cuthbert saw the exchange and sauntered over, his hand near his sword. Blade’s back was turned to the boy but he said, “I would so enjoy eating a foolish knight. The thousands of enemies I destroyed on the mountain were too charred to eat.” Blade turned his head towards the boy. “I’m unused to challenges like this. Fight me or no. I am done. Apprentice, make the arrangements.”
“Yes lord, we will drain this fortress of its wealth.”
Sir Allen retained his stare on Blade as Blade turned and walked into the point of the Cuthbert knight’s sword. Without flinching, Blade licked his lips and continued walking. The knight pressed and said, “Wait, stop, I’ll kill you!”
“You can try,” Blade said and the tip of the sword ran molten against his skin as the next stop brought Blade to the crossguard. The thicker metal hissed and melted as the pommel became too hot for the knight to hold. He dropped his sword as his gauntlets caught on fire. “Begone foolish child.”
But the knight, either too focused on removing his gauntlets or too foolish to move, did not. Blade seem to flicker and then was walking away on the other side of the knight to inspect the Order’s fallen. “I challenge you – “ the young knight cried out but blood erupted from his mouth as his head tore apart into five slices held in place by neck tissue. He dropped to his knees and then gurgled forward. Blade licked his dragonshifted hand of blood and locked his gaze with Sir Allen.
Sir Allen, to his credit, did not move but ordered one of his healers to save the boy. “And ensure he stays unconscious. He will be punished as per the treaty dread lord Blade.”
Chapter Sixty Five - The Falcon Forge
Ishan looked out over the workshop. It hummed. The marvelous metal falcon remained perched on the shop’s sign and in its honor, he had renamed the forge from “House Tor’s Foundry” to “The Falcon, an industry of Sai R’Dar”. Sai had tested them at first with normal work. As they proved industrious and some capable with the magical heat stones, Sai had sent incrementally more difficult projects to them. Even at what R’Dar Ora had described as easy it had taken weeks for them to adjust. Their first mending of a magical blade though had resulted in a flood of repair and maintenance orders.
Ishan had ordered an unused storehouse converted to a new forge and moved the normal metal craft there. Besides bringing in amazing business, the magical forge became somewhat of an attraction with Klennan townsfolks and travelers often stopping to watch the work. Gone were the days of forced shifts. In their place, a profit-sharing announcement had arrived by messenger. At first, when Ishan had read the message it had struck him as too good to be true. “Why would Sai offer any of us a profit share?” After a few days though, when he did not share the message with the others workers, the metal bird had called out to them.
“Come, workers of The Falcon. Come and hear my master’s words. Assemble in an hour and bring all those not present.” An hour later, the falcon spoke again and said, “I am Sai R’Dar, the master golem smith. I am alive and yet do not live as I was made by the dragon emperor to serve and am blessed by the Goddess with free will.
“Hear me. You have come to me through Malcor, one of you, who now serves as a paladin. And, his emissary to my house, R’Dar Ora and Ishan, master forger. Hear me, I desire that this forge become known for excellence. This requires proper motivation and drive to excellence. Many of you are talented, but you still work at the most basic level of metalcraft. As such, I have decided to offer you a profit share. You will work for my house for half your shift. Continuing my work thereafter will result in double pay. Alternatively, you may study and enhance your skills and in the other half or your own time, you may take jobs and use my forge as you see fit. You will keep half profits and pay me half of any side jobs.
“Ishan bring forward the first sword. This sword is beautiful. It contains simple magic held in quality metal. It can be enhanced at least two more steps. But this repair netted ten gold coins. In this profit share, had one of you done this work, you would now have five of those ten gold coins. This program is effective tomorrow and shall stand so long as the House of Sai operates this forge. Direct any questions to Ishan.”
After a moment of silence, a rider pulled up that turned out to be R’Dar Ora. Still stunned, the group parted for her and she walked over to the falcon and stood by Ishan. “Hi everyone,” she flashed her bright smile at them. “Welcome to Sai’s new hopes for this forge. We operate another one in another province that is buried with work. As such, I have brought work from there. The details will be listed on scrolls like these.” She held up a small roll of parchment. “Lets see,” she unrolled it. “Magical amulet. Clasp broken must be repaired with 90% gold, 10% mithril. Thirty gold,” she read. “So, if one of you wanted to do this, you’d sign your name here. That will trigger magic that will bring the amulet to you. When the work is done, you will keep half of that amount. Any questions?”
Questions erupted but most fell into whether it was really real or not. Tor had often offered incentives but rarely made good on them always finding some minor flaw or using schedule of delivery or cost of materials to dodge having to follow through. One after another, Ora answered and then began directing them to Ishan. Her beauty and easy-going grace helped somehow make it all seem more believable and easy to take in. After an hour, she interrupted the group and said, “I must return to the Capitol tonight. Between now and then, I will be at Ishan’s house if any of you need healing or blessings.”
It had become habit that these types of gatherings attracted the family members of the forge workers. As R’Dar Ora left, many trailed after. By the time she reached Ishan’s home, a line had formed with children bringing gifts and presents. Ora had become a beloved member of their community and she attended to them. Klara was first in line, beaming and holding flowers. Ora made a mental note to test her later that evening.
Ishan looked at the scroll and reread it to the group. After a moment, he rubbed his head and said, “So much has and is changing. This will change everything. However, I want to make something clear to all of you. We all have special talents. For better or worse, we lived with those talents under House Tor and did the work we had to do. This makes it so we still have to do that. Though not stated, the expectation is that we are looking at half shifts, if and only if, you are able to take on this higher order work. You all saw the sword and statue our boy Malcor made in his spare time, such as it was. What you don’t know is that Malcor – when he did that work – was hardly himself. Its magic work and it changed him. This work, will no doubt, change those who do it. But, above all else, the work we do for House Sai takes priority. All this other stuff, it only matters if you are still employed here.
“Furthermore, I would imagine that if you took something like this amulet and ruined it, there would be consequences. As such, before you all get too excited, we need to ask some questions and figure out who is going to be able to do this. Moreover, once any of us begin doing this work, we’ll earn more money than we ever made in years working for House Tor. I want this to be fair to those talented enough to do the work, but – in short, we need to put some thought into this. Let’s spend some time thinking about how this might work and beginning tomorrow and for the next two days, bring me any
questions. We will send them to Sai R’Dar and see what he says.
“I imagine this other forge that needs help can tell us some things about how this works as well.”
The rest of the day passed with excited and whispered conversations amongst the workers. Ora tended to newborn infants, blessing them and healing any wounds. One small boy who had been burned when he tripped and fell near a forge presented particularly gruesome wounds and she asked, “Why did you not go the shrine?”
“We cannot afford the requested tithe and thought that this would heal. Many of the workers bear similar burn scars.”
Ora sighed and made a mental note to investigate the province. “Our forge operating like this, is not going to work for Lord Sai. While I am happy to help when I am here, it is not Sai’s intent that I am solely involved in this one venture.”
“Tell us Lady, will the lordship ever come and visit us?”
Ora smiled and brushed hair back from a chubby baby’s face. The girl cooed at her and she said, “Lord Sai does not often leave his estate in the Capitol. His appearance startles normal people and over the years, he has come to accept that he is not really welcome in Tania. Though everyone knows his name, he prefers to act through liaisons like me, and his golem like the Cystoran Falcon.”
So saying, she opened herself up to questions from all directions about the magical bird. What is it? Did Sai make it? How does it work?... and so on and on. Finally, Ora quieted them and said, “Look, simply put a golem is a magical construct that can look like anything, like the falcon appears to be a falcon. The magic of its existence is its ability to fly, to look, and act like a real falcon. It is so much more though. Sai can see through it. If needed, I can see through it. We can also speak to you through it. The voice earlier was my master’s voice. These golems, they exist, they can act. But, unlike my master, they act within certain boundaries. This falcon for instance, will not fly off and seek food, but if ordered it can kill prey. Sai recognizes twenty additional levels of magical smith work. Weapons and armor are at the most basic levels, slightly above tools. The falcon is the twenty-first level. Except for Sai, none of his apprentices have mastered it. Many have tried.”
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